ACTION ALERT for the Planning & Development Committee Public Hearing
March 15, 2021, 10:00 am
The Planning and Development Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. We strongly encourage you to submit written testimony in support of our shared HOMEConnecticut Campaign legislative priorities. For sample testimony language for the Planning and Development public hearing, click here.
How to Testify
Written testimony can be submitted in Word or PDF format to pdtestimony@cga.ct.gov.
If you wish to provide verbal testimony during the hearing:
- You must register using the Online Testimony Registration Form.
- Registration will close on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 3:00 pm.
- Speaker order of approved registrants will be listed in a randomized order and posted on the Planning and Development Committee website on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 8:00 pm under Public Hearing Testimony.
- If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone. To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (203) 350-3769 to leave your contact information.
- Speakers will be limited to three (3) minutes of testimony.
- Please e-mail kayleigh@pschousing.org to let us know that you are planning to testify virtually!
The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live. In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com.
All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information.
If you have any questions about writing or submitting testimony for this hearing, please email Kayleigh at kayleigh@pschousing.org.
Talking Points
- Support H.B. No. 6107 An Act Concerning the Reorganization of the Zoning Enabling Act and the Promotion of Municipal Compliance. H.B. 6107 promotes the state's policy goal of encouraging all municipalities to plan for multi-family housing and housing affordable to low- and moderate-income families. Further, it requires that zoning regulations affirmatively further the purposes of the federal Fair Housing Act and removes the highly subjective "character of the district" consideration, which has been used as the basis of discriminatory zoning decisions. All reasonable aspects of "character" are fully covered by other sections of ยง 8-2, including considerations of historic preservation, environmental impact, density, scale, location, and the suitability of uses. For more information, click here.
- Support H.B. 6613 An Act Concerning Accessory Apartments, Middle Housing and Multifamily Housing. Permitting ADUs and small multifamily housing more broadly and without undue restrictions will promote the incremental growth of our lower cost housing supply, bringing new residents to town centers and transit station areas while continuing to allow municipalities to control the physical and site characteristics of their community through their zoning ordinance, the health code, building code, and other regulations.
- Support with amendments S.B. 1026 An Act Concerning Training for Certain Planning and Zoning Officials. Planning & Zoning commissions make important land use decisions that affect the function of their communities for many years. Unlike several nearby states, Connecticut does not offer a training curriculum, or require training, for commissioners. Connecticut does, however, require training for inlands and wetlands commissioners through DEEP. We recommend this bill be amended to increase the minimum hours of training to five (5) hours annually and require all members of planning and zoning commissions in Connecticut meet this minimum standard. We recommend the bill be amended to direct the state to develop such a training curriculum, to be administered in-person and online. For more information, click here.
You can view the 2021 HOMEConnecticut Legislative Agenda here.
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